, 1887-08-18

THE NATIONS EDITORS.
The National Editorial Association will
hold a four days session in Denver, be-
ginning Sept. G. There will be a large
number OF notable journalists in attend
ance, and the series of articles on practical
cannot fail to result in immense advantage
to everyone who attends the convention.
Since the early colonial days, when news
papers were less a vehicle for news than
pamphlets for the dissemination Of rabid
political opinion, journalism has become
u %stupendous power in this country. The
talk of the deterioration of the press is
simple fudge. The subject receives fire.
qucnt learned discussion from laymen in
the reviews and magazines. Many faults
in methods, in style, and errors in aim,
are pointed out to prove degeneration
from a high standard. Frequently many
of the points are well taken. but the mis-
take made by press critics, as a rule, is in
setting up an infallible standard of COM
p~arison. An air of omniscience surrounds
the editorial we" - but after all the best
newspaper is but a human institution with
many human weaknesses and foibles.
A man named Richardson once had a
great reputation in England. He was
the idol of certain circles and the women
fairly raved over him. Richardson had
written a few successful novels and inflated
with his own measureless vanity, fed by
the homage of his female admirers, he
conceived the idea of painting a perfect
man. The result is a curiosity of litera-
ture, Sir Charles Grandson an in
sipid creature through whose veins flows
milk not blood-iust such n sedate and
godly being as one would delight to prick
with a pin so as to galvanize him into life.
From the contemplation of such a char
acter the reader turns with delight to
contemporaneous Tom Jones" the ro-
bust roysterer and creature of passionate
impulses.
Perfection is a good thing to aim at,
but a very difficult thing to attain. Jour
nalism has its faults, and many of them
glaring ones, but Just why so very much
more should be expected of it than of any
other profession we can scarcely under
stand. A man goes into any other
branch of business and his avowed
intention is to make money. A mar
starts a newspaper, and straightway peo'
pie imagine he should be perfectly salts,
fed with the recreation he finds in running
u highly moral religious journal. And
yet, strange to say, the oppressively
moral papers seem to have a happy knack
of speedily suspending publication. Is ii
the fault OF the papers or the people2
There is published in New York a fash
paper of the hashiest description. 1t is
called the Police Gazette. 1t is never ad.
mitted to a reputable household, yet it,
proprietor clears several hundred Thousand
dollars II year. In the same D%eighborhooC
are published two highly esteemed reli
gious papers, the Christian Aduoedte anC
the Christian Union, both of which from
lack of facilities Of their own ar,
printed on the magnificent LIGHTNING
presses in the Gazette office. One pape,
appeals to a large constituency for tn,
money that is in it; the others appeal Il
a smaller constituency for the glory tina
is in it, and both are perhaps satisfied
with the result.
A newspaper is much like a private in
dividual. By upright conduct, and al
evident purpose to do to others as h,
would be done by, the individual gain
the esteem and confidence of the commu
nifty in which he lives. By a similar
course the newspaper gains public conf
dence, and ultimately the elusive shcke
finds its way to its Golfers.
Once public confidence in it has beer
secured the newspaper becomes a towe
of strength; the want of this confdenc,
account for the lack OF influence tina
might be exerted by many widely circu
lated papers. People admire them 70
their brilliancy, but distrust their opin
ions.